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Kara Newman, Reuters Life!

Here's a tip for the thirsty traveller: Both Chile and Peru make tasty variations on the grape brandy known as pisco. Try both if you can.

But wherever you are, pretend that your host country's pisco is the only one for you.

In Santiago, they don't want to hear about Peruvian pisco, which has dominated export markets in America and Europe. A recent push to raise the profile of Chilean pisco may soon move it onto the outside-world's radar.

"There are two emblematic drinks every traveller should try when visiting Santiago," says Javier Marcos, export director for Pisco Capel. The first is a crisp and classic Pisco Sour (pisco, lemon, sugar - but not egg whites, as would be found in Peru). The second is the "Piscola", which mixes pisco and cola over ice, plus a thin slice of lemon.

Thrill-seeking tipplers may also consider the famed "Terremoto" (Earthquake), containing pipeño (a sweet fermented white wine), ice cream and pineapple. Served in a one-litre glass, the drink is named, some say, for the trembly feeling experienced after downing it.

Often, the drink is followed by a half-size serving, called a "Replica" (aftershock).

For business transactions over a meal and a drink, Marcos recommends restaurants such as La Mar, "where they serve seafood emblematic of Chile" plus an all-pisco cocktail menu, and elegant Miraolas, another seafood restaurant.

Meanwhile, his end-of-day cocktail picks include Bar Liguria; a drink on the outdoor patio at Bar Catedral in the Lastarria neighbourhood, Oporto; or the bar at The Aubrey boutique hotel.

When it comes to Santiago's drinking culture, Marcos says, tastes run to vodka and rum, as well as pisco. But hard liquor is only part of the story.

"There is also a great wine culture," he adds, plus hundreds of beer brands from across the country, including microbreweries and craft beers, some made in Santiago.

Here's a cocktail that includes two of the three - Chilean pisco and wine. Salud!

RECIPE: BELLAVISTA - By David Wondrich

While not a classic Chilean cocktail, this drink is a knockout way to use pisco. Named after Santiago's university/hipster neighbourhood, Bellavista, this sophisticated, bitter-edged drink is a double threat, showcasing Chilean red wine as well as barrel-aged pisco.